Humble Beginnings
Dee was one of Chris’s first close friends at Freedom Church. She practically was the mayor of the congregation – inviting, charismatic, and leading the Connections Team to greet people as they entered the building. She knew so many people at Freedom and was quick to make introductions for Chris, making him feel quickly at home.
Dee is known for her hospitality at Freedom and frequently hosting people at her house. She loves to cook, is quick to say yes to a game night, and is even quicker to extend more invites so all feel welcomed. Chris got to be the recipient of such invites early on to attending Freedom. Relatively new to living in Philadelphia, Chris made incredible community connections through Dee, including meeting Caleb.
Dee and Chris had a spot in Fairmount Park where they had a monthly morning meeting. It was more spontaneous than that – but oftentimes that’s about how it played out. During one of those meetings, Chris confided in Dee about navigating depression and shared his bipolar disorder diagnosis. She was warm, gracious, and utterly supportive. “You can tell me anything,” she affirmed, re-assuring Chris that his vulnerability was trusted well.
During another of those meetings, Chris pitched Dee “The Stability App.” She loved the idea, immediately running with entrepreneurial possibilities. After getting accepted at Wharton for Business School, Dee continued to follow up with Chris about bringing The Stability App to life.
Caleb became close with Chris especially after he joined his Small Group. Initially meeting through Dee’s introduction, Caleb became a rock of support – intentional, thoughtful, and experientially aware of the right things to say at the right time. Chris didn’t want to take advantage of his therapist friend, but Caleb continued to go above and beyond to consistently be the friend most people could only aspire to be. They pivoted to having a weekly meetup where they’d debrief, process, dream, and pray.
When Dee was suddenly laid off from her job as a Senior Technical Program Manager, the star’s aligned (we see it as God’s grace) for Caleb’s startup company Chain Breakers Therapy to hire Dee as the formation of The Stability App. Chris had already deeply planted the idea with them, and they knew they wanted to team up to make this venture a reality. Caleb jumped through hurdles to secure Dee’s H1B visa and make her his company’s first employee besides himself.
This selfie of humble beginnings took place ironically at a fancy restaurant in Philadelphia, as Chris, with a slightly elevated mood, suggested this spot to “kick off the company right” as they knew they’d need to be scrappy in many ways before securing all the necessary funding to launch The Stability App.
This is and will be a story of compassionate, faithful friends rallying together over a strong idea and framework that they anticipate will change the worlds of many who live with mood disorders. Every company has an inception. The Stability App is rooted in character, competence, and camaraderie. We think that’s a firm foundation.